Tag Archives: World Record

Even though George Mikan was dubbed “Mr. Basketball” and voted the best “basketball player of the half century” in a 1950 Associated Press poll, he doesn’t exactly rival Stephen Curry in household name recognition. Fans and collectors may finally accord him a measure of the respect he deserves. In an SCP auction at www.scpauctions.com, the only 1948 Bowman rookie card of his ever graded a PSA 10 gem mint set a new world record for a basketball card. Seventeen bids drove the final price up to $403,664.

George Mikan’s 1948 rookie card sold for $403,664 in SCP Auctions’ Fall Premier online auction, a record for a basketball card. SCP Auctions said Sunday that the buyer wished to remain anonymous. The card of the Minneapolis Lakers’ Hall of Fame center is from the lone Bowman basketball card set ever produced and is the only one of its kind to receive a grade of ”Gem Mint 10” from third-party authenticator PSA Cards. The card previously sold in 2009 for $225,000.

Babe Ruth’s first season with the Yankees, 1920, is still reverberating. He batted .376, hit 54 home runs and drove in 137 runs. Attendance at the Polo Grounds more than doubled to 1.29 million. It was the season when the future Yankees dynasty began to take shape. Ruth wore a gray wool road jersey that season to perform in Boston, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland and the three other American League cities. “Ruth, G. H.” is still visible on the collar in faded pink script. Blue letters spell “New York” across the chest. Dirt stains — and probably some from sweat — are evident. And now, it is the most expensive sports artifact ever sold at auction.